Isles Host Mental Health Night vs Capitals, Presented by Northwell Health

The New York Islanders are hosting Mental Health Awareness Night, presented by Northwell Health, on Monday, January 16 when the team takes on the Washington Capitals at UBS Arena.
The meaning of Monday's game is to bring increased awareness to mental health resources and foster an environment that normalizes mental health care instead of stigmatizing it. Mental Health is one of four key pillars of Northwell Health and the Islanders' newest platform, #WellnessWins. This platform is centered around the importance of both physical and mental well-being and will be present throughout the rest of the season's programming.

The four pillars include Mental Health, Healthcare Equality, First Responders Health and Youth Educational Programs, and each one has its own distinct color. Green represents Mental Health, purple represents Healthcare Equality, blue represents First Responders Health and gold represents Youth Educational Programs. Green and #WellnessWins will be completely taking over UBS Arena tomorrow night.
"It's come to the forefront that a lot of people suffer with some form of mental health problems, myself included," Cal Clutterbuck said. "It's important to let people know they're not alone. We're doing a really good job of starting to arm people with some of the tools in order to be able to deal with that."

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This year's #TakeATimeOut moment will be an in-game moment of calm, paired with an on-ice projection. #TakeATimeOut can mean checking in with yourself for the first time in a while or encouraging your loved ones to do so. In either instance, a few seconds can make a lasting impact.
"Some people keep everything on the inside and I think the biggest thing is reaching out helping being a voice and trying to communicate that there's help and options and people are willing to help and wanting to help you," Brock Nelson said.
Not only are the Islanders advocating for increased awareness around mental health, they have embraced it in their own lives, whether it's being there for a teammate, or reaching out when they need help.
"I think it's good to talk to people," Josh Bailey said. "If you're feeling down and things aren't going well have a conversation. For me, it's with my wife, my family friends… I think there's always someone there to talk to."
Splashes of Hope will also create a mural for fans to help paint, which will eventually be presented to South Oaks Hospital, a Northwell Health Behavioral Health Hospital.
UBS Arena will be filled with dogs on Monday as studies show that dogs can significantly improve our mental health. Save a Pet USA, a local animal shelter, will bring a litter of adoptable puppies for fans to pet outside of Section 207. If fans would like to adopt one of these puppies, Save a Pet USA will have paperwork onsite. Northwell therapy dogs will be roaming the concourses to engage with fans and to show off the skills they use to help Northwell patients.

For fans who want to learn more, Dr. Mayer Bellehsen, PhD, the founding director of the Center for Traumatic Stress, Resilience and Recovery and the Feinberg Division of the Unified Behavioral Health Center for Military Veterans and their Families (UBHC), will be featured on MSG Networks and during an in-game interview. Northwell Health will also feature an informational table on the concourse at section 109.
The UBS Arena lanterns will also be lit up green on Wednesday, as green ribbons are the international symbol of mental health awareness. The digitally-enhanced dasherboards (DEDs) will feature Northwell branding.

Monday's Hockey With A Heart charities are the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Project Healthy Minds. NAMI provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives. Project Healthy Minds builds anti-stigma campaigns that change attitudes, technology that makes it easier and faster to discover help, and programs and partnerships that expand access to care.
After the game, all fans in attendance will receive a Fidget Cube, presented by Northwell Health.
For more information on mental health resources, click here.